Dogs for Merit

Dogs once roamed the streets of Lhasa, scavenging in gutters, running through the dark night streets and filling the air with their barking.

But last night not a hound was in sight. Dawn and an early morning temple visit brought enlightenment: it's no longer a dog's life in Lhasa, more the pampered pooch lifestyle.

Hundreds of pilgrims strode around the Jokhang Temple in the heart of Lhasa, twirling their prayer wheels and softly chanting Buddhist sutras. The faithful made circuit after circuit of the holiest of sites.

It's a sight that holds me spellbound. The practice seems not to have changed for centuries -- a sign of the depth of belief among Tibetans and of the vitality of their religion. What a privilege that after a historic journey on the first-ever train from Beijing to Lhasa, I now found myself watching a people going about a way of life and by traditions that have barely altered.

And yet, there were changes. One that caught my eye was the dogs.

I spied an elderly woman, her spectacles as thick as coke bottle bottoms and dozens of long, grey narrow plaits falling down her back. In one hand she held a prayer wheel. Her other hand stretched out behind her, holding a leash for the tiny, golden, fluffy dog that trotted in her wake. Her bright-eyed, glossy-furred pet looked as if it must have cost her all her savings and I guessed that she probably felt it had been worth every penny.

When I looked around me, I realised that this was no lone dog lover. Scattered among the pilgrims were dozens of men and women, young and old, with a pet pooch on a lead. These were not ownerless mongrels left to forage for food in the garbage but much-loved companions taking a morning constitutional while their owner made his prayers. I even thought I spotted a prized Lhasa Apso.

I didn't see any sheep on leads but was assured they, too, are a popular companion. A friend described how her grandmother always made her pilgrimages with a well-fed white ewe at her side.

Legend has it that Tibetans have a particular fondness for dogs, however, believing that some monks can be reincarnated in their form. It is also believed among Tibet's Buddhists that to care for an animal, or any life form, will bring merit in the next life. Plenty of affection was to be seen around the Jokhang Temple this morning.